National Tide 1980

"Actually, when it comes to this pot of braised beef, it can't be considered a Russian dish, because this dish does not exist in Russia. It is an invention of Keshilin. It is alienated to cater to the people here. Western food. And this gratin has the same meaning. In Russia, it actually only has gratin."

Kang Shude once again said something shocking, which made Ning Weimin even more surprised and couldn't help but blurt out.

"What? According to what you said, is it possible that this...these are all fake Western food!"

This sound was so sudden that it seemed that the waiter in the restaurant heard it.

Ning Weimin couldn't help but feel embarrassed when he saw the waiter serving the food at the next table looking over with confusion and surprise.

He quickly lowered his head and lowered his voice to ask the old man.

"Are you kidding me? This... this pot of goulash is not a real Russian dish?"

His tone was incredulous.

But Kang Shude just smiled indifferently, but it was completely natural.

"Is this surprising? When foreign things come to us, they rarely remain the same, and Western food is no exception. The reason is that the operators are eager to make money and urgently need to be recognized by the locals."

"After all, here we have few real foreigners and many locals. With so many Western restaurants, if they only wait for foreigners to come to eat, it will be difficult to make a profit. This is a need for business strategy."

"Taking the past capital as an example, the Western restaurants that can truly maintain the authentic taste are the canteens of German hospitals and the bakeries of French hospitals, except for the Western Gentlemen Association in Dongjiaomin Lane, which is only accessible to foreigners. There are only a few companies because they all have their own reasons and there is no need to worry about profitability."

"Others, ranging from high-end luxury places like Liuguo Hotel and Jingcheng Hotel to Ermiaotang and Jieyingfan Restaurant of the citizen class, as long as you want to make money, you can't break out of the localization model of Western food. Cheese Although Lin is famous, he is not exempt from vulgarity."

"You know, the founder's identity in China was just a cook in a German military camp, an ordinary private. He wanted money but no money, and background but no background. It is said that it was by chance that he hosted a banquet for Yuan Shikai and was appreciated. , and received a reward of one hundred taels of silver. Only then did I have the opportunity to display my talents."

"At the beginning, due to limited capital, the restaurant opened was very small, mainly focusing on candies, bread, and pastries. Keith Lin worked as a chef himself and asked his wife to serve as a waiter. He couldn't find a way to cater to the local people's preferences. How can that be done? As long as you are a guest, you must do your best to entertain us. So the term 'Chinese-style Western food' may sound ridiculous, but it is the fact."

“Although Western restaurants in the past mostly featured English, French, German, and Russian cuisine, they all claimed to be authentic. However, most of them, including Western restaurants opened by foreigners, were actually made to cater to our Chinese tastes. . Especially the Western restaurants run by our Chinese people are not without some fabricated elements, or even completely non-existent.”

"For example, the British like fried potato chips and fried fish, so many fried chicken, fish, and meat dipped in breadcrumbs are called British style in our Western restaurants. The French like all kinds of sauces, so our restaurants Western restaurants have invented a homemade sauce made of tomato sauce, diced carrots, diced mushrooms, peas and raisins. It is red and green and has a sweet and sour taste. Just pour it on the fried pork chops or meatloaf. Called 'French so-and-so'."

Hearing this, Ning Weimin looked at the food on the table in front of him and suddenly felt a little unsatisfied.

He said to himself that by spending so much money together, they would be charging an IQ tax.

So isn't this the same as the Chinese food that foreigners eat?

In his previous life, he had read some relevant information on the Internet and knew that Chinese food abroad was terrible.

Zuo Zongtang's chicken and Li Hongzhang's offal are all just things the Chinese do to fool foreigners.

Unexpectedly, foreigners who dare to come to China will still fool us...

"What? Do you feel awkward? Do you think you've been fooled and it's a loss to spend money on such unauthentic Western food?"

Kang Shude also noticed Ning Weimin's displeasure, and when he saw that he didn't deny it, he smiled again.

"You, actually, you don't have to think this way, it's just too confusing. You have to think this way, real Western food is too far away from us. It's difficult to accept it. Just like your Maxim from Pierre Carton, but also There are things like Justin at Jianguo Hotel. According to your introduction, they are all authentic French food, cooked by French chefs themselves, and the menu is exactly the same as that in France. But some of us here like to eat half-cooked food. Something like that?"

"The taste of Western food is far less varied than that of Chinese food. It's basically the same thing. Speaking of advantages, that is, the ingredients are fresh, and the eyes enjoy it more than the tongue. In addition, the environment is exquisite, and it is fashionable to eat this. Maybe you young people I like such exotic customs. But can you imagine, treat the aunt, Master Luo, Lao Mi and others in our courtyard to eat such foreign food. What would they say? Let me tell you, they really can't enjoy such a blessing. I'm afraid I'll be blamed for it. It'll be fine if I don't vomit it. If I try to eat it, I'll have a stomachache later."

"Why? It's because of different eating habits and lack of understanding of the corresponding culture. Our generation is far more unfamiliar with the West than today. In addition, we are getting older and can't stand many cold and raw foods. Our sense of taste has deteriorated. That means they can't even appreciate the benefits of those high-end Western foods. On the other hand, it's fake Western food with strong flavors and fully cooked. They can still give it a try. People won't be too repulsed when eating it. "

"Just like me, after eating fake Western food, I can distinguish what butter, cheese and cream are. Only then can I sit down and eat real Western food with you. It is fake Western food that has narrowed the distance between me and real Western food. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll be like them, and I won’t be able to enjoy real French cuisine.”

"Speaking of this, you should understand what I mean, right? Fake Western food also has the meaning of fake Western food. This is the principle of step by step. Nothing can be done in one step. If there is no fake Western food to pave the way, then the real Western food , there is no way it can be accepted by our tongues and stomachs. It is with fake Western food as a transition that it is possible for authentic Western food to be accepted by us. What’s more, without fake Western food for comparison, how can the levels of authentic Western food be revealed? ?”

Ning Weimin was convinced by the old man and couldn't help but nod.

"That seems to be the case. It's like my Tan Palace. Without the other two palace dishes as a foil, we can't show our advantages. Without those two unauthentic ones, how can we show off our advantages? How about our authentic food? For ordinary people, who can know what palace cuisine is? Our repeat customers only recognize our place because they have tasted it in several palace restaurants. This is naturally because they have eaten there before. Only then can we judge what the palace cuisine should be like, and then we can distinguish the differences in all aspects of our palace..."

He paused for a moment and then said, "But, I also think that sometimes the quality of a restaurant's business is not entirely determined by the taste of the dishes. Especially Western restaurants, for those who don't know enough about Western food, For people, the experience of dining seems to be more important than the sense of taste.”

"Look, even if the eating habits are different, as you said, we ordinary people cannot accept real French food. Fake Western food is more suitable for the appetite of our people. But Maxim's environment, good service, and serious foreigners cannot be tolerated. The chef is very particular about the inside and outside of the restaurant, even the tableware and cloth. This can give people a high-class feeling."

"So regardless of the price, Maxim is more expensive than Lao Mo and Cheeseline. But it is still very popular among customers, which cannot stop those who eat Western food. They gradually forget about Lao Mo and become Maxim's. Supporter. Especially recently, Maxim has begun to increase band performances. I heard that the restaurant is doing very well and is almost full."

"To be honest, I came to this Keshilin today. The food actually tastes good, and maybe it is genuine. But the problem is that there are too many problems in the management. It is a good restaurant, but the management has not kept up, and the environment and tableware are unsatisfactory. It is disappointing. I feel that the quality is not high and the meal price seems too expensive. Naturally, no one wants to come. It means that the greater the reputation, the more disappointing it is."

"I think this business in Shilin is really not optimistic. I am afraid that people here are only thinking about the money they have earned from this signboard, and have forgotten that this signboard should maintain its matching characteristics and quality. We should be grateful for it. Either it was opened in the capital, or Maxim didn't come to Tianjin to open a store. Otherwise, the business here would probably be even worse. Not even 50% of the seats can be reached..."

Kang Shude nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right about the problem. Whether a high-end dining place like this can satisfy customers really doesn't depend entirely on taste."

"It's like when I came to Tianjin for business and treated my friends to Shilin for the first time. Although I was extremely uncomfortable with it, it could even be said that we didn't understand it at all. It made a big joke and ended in an embarrassing situation."

"But just because Qi Shilin was so famous and spectacular back then. We walked into a foreign world that we had never been exposed to before and saw scenes we had never seen before. We are still full of admiration and admiration for Qi Shilin. "

"Even after returning to the capital, many years have passed. That first foreign meal, which we cannot look back on, only makes us feel novel and will never forget it. We don't feel panicked at all."

"Actually, if you think about it the other way around, this is true for Chinese people who don't understand Western food, and it's probably the same for foreigners who don't understand Chinese food. You should be careful about the business you open, and don't make mistakes like Shilin. And you have to think about it, What if the other two companies learn from your strengths..."

But the old man's warning was far less interesting than the old man's experience and aroused Ning Weimin's interest.

Ning Weimin couldn't help but ask further questions.

"Hey, old man, tell me. Who did you come with? What did you eat? Why did you make a joke?"

When Kang Shude saw Ning Weimin looking at him so curiously, he smiled at him.

"You want to know something embarrassing about your master? That's fine. Who wants to talk happily today? But I can't tell you jokes, let alone spreading it to outsiders. When I went there, I was with my friend from back then, and later I told Ma We went with Li Li, our young master as the driver. We ate...several Germans."

"Germany?"

"Don't interrupt, just listen, you kid..."